Alberta citizens scored lower than citizens of any other province in a survey that measures people’s perceptions of basic humanity in society.
Who cares? Well, you should, if you think it’s important, live in a place where people work hard, feel secure, trust what they’re being told, and have a collective sense of responsibility to look after each other and the province they call home.
Pierre Côté is a Canadian communications expert who founded the Relative Happiness Index in 2006.
Now called the Leger Happiness Index, it asks people to rate society based on factors such as volunteerism, engagement with society, satisfaction with relationships, family and friends, and concern about the future.
This was the first year that Léger, a Canadian market research firm, conducted the nationwide wide humanity index.
The index was calculated from the results of 3001 Canadians who completed an online survey between August 15 and August 19, 2024, and the results don’t paint a rosy picture.
“We talk about humanity without exactly knowing what it is. We don’t know where we have to start when we talk humanity. So the first measure, it’s a way to establish the base standard,” Côté said.
He said the survey results, though lower than expected, tell us where we need to go as a society.
Albertans Took Last Position
According to the results, Alberta has farther to go than any other region in Canada.
Quebec scored the highest in the country at 66/100 regarding the sense of society’s humanity.
That’s far from great. But Albertans’ perceptions are worse. They hit the bottom of the barrel with a score of 56.5/100.
Côté said Albertans rated all 14 humanity indicators lower than all other regions coast to coast. That sounds like a pattern and it’s a bummer because Alberta is a great place to be.
What’s going on in Wild Rose Country?
“Why people from Alberta evaluate every dimension lower, I don’t know. Honestly, I think people from Alberta know the answer better than me. But that’s the fact, and it was the same questions asked in the same order everywhere in Canada,” Côté said.
The Qualities of Humanity
Want some food for thought? Here are the 14 qualities about society that survey respondents were asked to rank:
Generosity – Overall, I consider my society to be generous, with a good sense of sharing.
Democracy – In my society, democracy is strong, vibrant, and represents an inalienable principle.
Engagement/implication – The level of engagement and involvement of citizens in the social and community life of my community seems adequate and satisfying to me.
Truthfulness – I believe that in my society, the vast majority of the information and news I read and hear are truthful and faithful to the reality of the facts mentioned.
Culture – In my society, the diversity of cultural expressions is considered a central element of our identity.
Freedom of Expression – In my society, individuals can freely express their opinions without fearing censorship or negative repercussions for their views.
Openness – My society is generally open, tolerant, and inclusive toward different cultures, opinions, lifestyles, and minorities.
Optimism – Despite the more challenging times my society is going through, I still perceive optimism and confidence in the future.
Work relation – In my society, the relationships between employers and employees are generally respectful.
Social peace – There is a climate of peace and cohesion in the society where I live.
Equality(gender) – In my society, efforts are made to achieve equality between men and women.
Environment – My society takes appropriate measures to protect the environment.
Justice – In the society where I live, is applied without favoritism or discrimination.
Equity – In my society, efforts are made to ensure that resources are distributed fairly among all individuals.
Click here to read the full survey results.
